It’s closer than you think.

I’ve never really given 3D printing much thought, considering it just a manufacturing process that has been around for years used to generate plastic or metal objects. That was until I read about research going on that has plucked the idea of made-to-measure organs from the pages of science fiction novels and planted it firmly into the future of mainstream medical practice. And a not to distant future, at that. It’s called bioprinting.

My immediate reaction on discovering that bioprinting existed was to wonder what, on earth, is coming out of the computer controlled nozzles when you’re bioprinting a heart. An image of liquified flesh, muscle and cartilage came to mind and it wasn’t a pretty sight. However, it turns out that it isn’t as messy as I’d imagined. In keeping with its printing heritage, it uses ‘ink’, or bio-ink as it’s referred to, made up of hydrogels, water-based solutions containing human cells. There are multiple nozzles too, some dispensing biodegradable materials to give the organs structure and strength.

The creation of human body parts like tracheas, blood vessels and damaged sections of human organs has been around for a while, so too has the ability to reproduce complex organs like skin and bladders. However, the recent news that researchers at Tel Aviv University have successfully printed the world’s first 3D heart has taken the science onto a new level. Before we get too excited, though, I feel now is the time to mention that the heart in question is small – about the size of a rabbit’s. It will be a while before the technology can create a full size transplantable human heart – but it’s close.

I think it might be a blessing that we’re a number of years away from this breakthrough in medical research, because I am not too sure that we’re ready yet for the enormous moral and ethical implications involved. Looking on the positive side, there would potentially be a lot of advantages. Organ transplants would not rely on donors. Animal testing of products could be undertaken on 3-D printed organs and not live animals. You could extend your life by replacing worn out organs. Heart disease, for example, would cease to be the killer that it is today.

However, and this is where my dystopian leanings come into play, it could lead to a lot of social problems. If people saw their bodies as disposable items that could be replaced or repaired when they became damaged, what incentive would there be to stop consuming excessive quantities of drugs and alcohol, for instance?. Why would you bother to eat a healthy diet or exercise regularly? You’d just get yourself replacement organs when needed. Your life would become something you could gamble with.

In a capitalist society, imagine if the production and distribution of bio-printed organs was in the hands of one company and the power they would wield. We already have issues with drugs companies monopolising the production of prescription drugs – it’s set to get a lot worse if you’re dealing with replacement organs. It might lead to the technology becoming the exclusive reserve of the wealthy and powerful.

Perhaps, I’m worrying unnecessarily. It could all be fine. Anyway, for now, I’ll keep my organ donor card safely in my wallet … until further notice.